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Suze Randall (above), her husband Humphry Knipe, and her daughter Holly have been one of the most influential families in the adult industry of the last 40 years.
– Suze is a former model, who shot many photographic layouts for Playboy, Hustler, Penthouse and more.
– Humphry directed a series of acclaimed adult films in the mid 1980s, under the name Victor Nye, which starred the likes of Ginger Lynn, Harry Reems and Lisa De Leeuw.
– And Holly is one of the world’s leading adult photographers, who photographs for many sites, including her own, HollyRandall.com, as well as presenting a reality show on Playboy TV.
Together their involvement in the adult industry dates back to the early 1970s when Suze was a midwife nurse in England, who started nude modeling as a way of earning extra money. Within a few years, she was at the heart of the adult magazine industry in Los Angeles, dealing, and often fighting, with the egos of Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt, and Bob Guccione.
Then Humphry made films for the notorious Reuben Sturman, including several movies with Traci Lords that were made just before it was revealed that Traci was in fact an underage performer.
Today Holly carries on the family tradition, in an internet age where free content is plentiful and the emphasis is often on quantity rather than quality.
On this episode of The Rialto Report, Ashley West speaks to Suze, Humphry, and Holly, to find out what the adult business was like in the golden age, and how much it has changed today. How profitable was it then – and how profitable is it now? What was it like to shoot the most famous adult film stars of the time? What really went on at the Playboy Mansion, and how crazy was Larry Flynt? And what was it like to wake up one day to the news that all the pictures of your favorite model had to be trashed immediately, and you could face decades locked up in jail?
We’re also pleased to show two collections of photographs; first a selection of images from Suze’s career as a model and photographer, and secondly we’re indebted to Suze.net for allowing us to present a collection of her photographs of golden age adult film stars from the 1980s.
Special thanks to Michael Nirenberg for assisting with this episode.
This episode running time is 67 minutes.
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For more details, please visit the following sites:
‘Suze: The Girl Who Clicked on Both Sides of the Playboy Camera’ (1977) – Humphry’s original account of Suze’s rise to fame
‘Lies, Love & Porn’ (2010) – Humphry’s novelized account of the Traci Lords scandal
‘Back Issues’ (2014) – Michael Nirenberg’s documentary about Larry Flynt, which features Suze, Humphry and Holly
Suze Randall – Her Life In Pictures:
Suze’s modelling shot (early 1970s)
Suze in Eric Rohmer’s ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’ (1972)
Suze modelling picture (early 1970s)
Suze and Humphry arrive in Hollywood
Suze shooting Jill de Vries, Playboy Playmate of the Month for October 1975
Suze article in Playboy featuring her self-portraits
Suze’s self-portrait for Playboy (1976)
Suze’s self-portrait for Playboy (1976)
‘Suze’ – by Humphry
Angel and Ginger Lynn in a publicity still for ‘Too Naughty to Say No’ (1985)
Suze (right) on the set of ‘Love Bites’ (1985) with Amber Lynn
Suze (second from right) and Amber Lynn in the elevator scene from ‘Love Bites’ (1985)
Suze and Holly
Suze Randall photographs of adult film stars:
Thank you Suze for capturing the beautiful porn stars of the 80’s for us, you r the best! I forgot how beautiful Angel was, she looks like a mainstream runway model. I also recognized 80’s anal queen Sherie St Clair in a picture. I almost didn’t recognize a vey young Amber Lynn, she looks so much different before all the surgery.
My favorite Suze layout on her website was of two beautiful 80’s B list porn stars, Nicole West and Gina Valentino. The shoot was from 1984 and both girls looked so sexy, they both left around 1985 but I think Nicole and Gina would have become huge stars if they stayed in the industry, Suze has photographed so many hot girls since 1984 I wonder if she even remembers Nicole and Gina?
PS. Suze, what was it like working with Crystal Breeze? she was gorgeous
@80’s for life – why make ignorant unnecessary jealous comments about which you have no facts? She is actually way prettier today than then and has held up way better than any of these
Just finished listening and I have to admit, this is one of the Rialto’s best yet. Maybe it was something about all the English participants.
Seriously though, this was seriously good – and now I’m off to but Humphry’s book!
Love this site.
Another classic by the experts.
I am loving these! Please get interviews on Tracey Adams and Keisha! And what is the actual story with the legendary Lisa DeLeeuw?! That would be a stunner…
Love the podcast – perhaps the best I’ve heard Suze give, especially given the master stroke of hearing from Humphry and Holly too. Really interesting to hear about Sturman and Flynt too. And Holly’s pictures are a revelation too – good to see the family tradition continue!
Anyone know what happened to Angel – what a stunner. Would love to hear the RR interview her…
There was a report on another site that Angel had become author Jennifer James but the picture looked nothing like Angel. I realize Angel wore a wig during her career, the lady in the picture looked nothing like her. Angel had a long swan like neck and the author they showed had a short stubby neck, no way it was her.
Would love to know what happened to Angel, Ali Moore, Tamara Longley, Sahara and Melissa Melendez. IMDB has a recent photo from a link of Kimberly Carson, she has blonde hair now but still looks the same, living somewhere in VA with her third (at Least) husband
Great interview and that’s an amazing picture of Shauna Grant! I’ve never seen that before.
Another extremely enjoyable podcast. I was only vaguely familiar with Suze Randall. She certainly is a bubbly personality (and to hear an interview from someone so upbeat and full of life after her recent tragedy getting kicked in the head by the horse was rather amazing). Humphrey and Holly were great too.
Amusing to hear her Hef/Flynt/Guccione stories, and VERY interesting to hear her candid appraisal of Traci Lords– confirming, without any apparent malice, what others in the industry have long maintained. When she described the fearful rush to destroy all the photos of their favorite model it struck me eerily similar to what Irving and Paula Klaw must have felt like with Bettie Page, after the Kefauver hearings.
Once again, the Rialto Report does it right. This is living history. Keep up the good work.
I listened to all of the Rialto podcasts at least twice and here is another fine piece of journalistic work by Ashley and the Rialto Report Staff. To be honest i could listen to Suze, Humphry and Holly for far more hours.
Thanks for the great inside views like all ways in this series and a personal note:
I was happy to grab a tape of “Love Bites” when i was 14 years old in Germany uncut of course (the scandal never reached europe at least not Germany and the Netherlands till today)so I was more than excited to listen to what the creators of this nice flick had to tell.
Thank you for sharing: Suze, Humphry and Holly.
Be interested to hear feedback on my book “Lies, Love & Porn”.
Hi Mr Knipe,
Just wanted to say that I read your book a few months ago and heartily recommend it to all. The fun part – apart from your excellent writing – is trying to guess who the various people are that have different names. Despite the notice at the beginning that everything is fiction, I’m assuming that every person is in fact an actual real life person – and the names have been changed to protect the guilty?!
Thanks for the book – and the films!
Yea, right!
I loved your book “Lies, Love & Porn”. I approached it with slight reservations as I normally prefer straight forward factual books and not ‘novelizations’. But this got me hooked – and I finished it in 48 hours. It reads like a thriller, expose’, documentary all in one.
Heartily recommended.
I read Humphry’s book – and was surprised that I had not heard of it before. It’s an excellent account of the time, and, of course, now we find out that the author had a greater part in these films that was originally known.
IMDb has always listed Suze as director, so it is good to have The Rialto Report set the record straight.
Read this book!!
Talk about a family business.
Suze, Humphry and Holly never allowed themselves
to be co-opted , corrupted nor conceited about the work
they did shooting the top talent of the day
in the most flattering manner all the while on their way to the bank
with giggles and grins.
They remain three of the most genuine people I’ve met
on this lustful path over five decades
of decadence. I am proud to have met them.
Correction: It was Reuben GOTTESMAN, not Sturman, for whom several Traci Lords films were made.
Suze worked a lot with 80’s porn powerhouse Alicia Monet, would love to know what was the deal with Alicia, was she really as nuts as everyone said she was? last time I heard anything about her was she almost bit Rocco’s cock off and they had to lock her in a room while she was shooting in Germany.
Also, what was the deal with Gina Valentino, did she really shoot her boyfriend like all the porn mags reported in the mid 80’s? She seemed really sweet
Excellent episode. Pretty cool hearing about the king Reuben Sturman, how he would give the green light for a feature film and then finance the picture right then and there with sacks of cash to produce it. About how much of a pain it was in the 80s to shoot on super 16mm film and how they became millionaires in the late nineties thanks to the internet craze.. The podcast rocked.
Thank you for interviewing smut shutterbugs Suze and Holly Randall and shameless stained screen daddy/husband director Humphrey Knipe.
Years ago, when I was internationally known as “the Hef of MILFS” I had the pleasure of interviewing those Brit sleaze sirens when I was editor-in-chief of Nasty Housewives Magazine, one of the more popular MILF stroke books published when mooks were still willing to fork over cash to jerk off to porn mags.
The Suze and Holly Q & A interview can be found in the issue #8 of Nasty Housewives, on sale for the ridiculous back issue price of $20.
http://wonderclub.com/magazines/NASTYHOUSEmagNASTYHOUSE008.htm
Suze and Holly are among the best in the business, but with the skin book boom having long gone belly up, it is only a matter of time before Hef and Larry kick the bucket and have their magazines join Penthouse as another zombie publication kept alive on ego instead of interest.
The skin book days are gone. But, boy – where they good ones: Gloria Leonard’s High Society. Peter Wolf’s Cheri. Sid Smith’s Players. Paul Raymond’s Club. Bob Guccione’s Penthouse — and even Al Goldstein’s Screw.
Thank you, Suze and Holly, for being the last of a once great breed, true thoroughbreds in an industry turned Valitar.
I sure loved the way Suze Randall looked years ago. She was a hottie and so is Holly.
Its my birthday tomorrow , I would love to have a strap on session with Holly as a
present!
Suze Randall pictures are like no other , unique in their own genre, had been a member for many yrs. It’s disgusting the way they airbrush and re-release the same photos that they did 10 yrs ago. Why not release new pictures all together from the same sets and in bigger quantities ?! I’m pretty sure Suze shot hundreds of poses during a session.. I would pay anything to be able to see entire photo-session Suze did of Sylvia Saint, Veronika Zemanova, Zdenka Podkapova, Aria Giovanni. It would sure bring back a lot of members !
Great family – great story – great fun – great show.
Great show, Rialto Report. I had not heard or read about Suze and company until I listened to your podcast. Wonderful stories about business during the Golden Age. Even though the same names keep coming up, there is always a different perspective that keeps things fresh.
Keep up the great work!
Another 10!!!
You can thank your daughter Holly for sending me the link to this podcast – we are “friendly acquaintances” from my years of membership on her site, your site and now, on Playboy, where I started a site in her honor. I haven’t been able to find the book here, but I’ve been a Suze fan for decades.
The Suze Randall Clan proves the old adage: the Family that plays together, Stays together
So upbeat! So facinating! The behind the scenes POV really uncovered the details of the business such as the money flow. Loved it.
Finally get to see what Suze looks like and she is a beautiful lady. Probably the best erotic photographer ever.
She did a laundry room scene shoot with three girls that is so insanely hot.
Sorry I don’t have the names of the models but it is worth looking for if you are a member of her page.
Punchy it is Dionna (!) Renee Martinez and Sara St. James.
Another great interview. Thanks to the Rialto Report & Suzy and family for everything.
Has anybody heard of or seen CONNIE PETTERSON?
Suze Randall she was awesome photographer for Playboy magazine during golden age of x-rated film the 70s 80s and early 90s
What a fun interview! Suze lives up to her reputation as many of the female adult film stars spike so highly of her!
Awesome music too! Very Boogie Nights!
It is just about Halloween 2023 and I just listened to the Suze and family podcast…favorite so far.
I saw “Not A Love Story” as well and I agree with Suze. I saw it at and it left me and my date…now wife…with a serious “HUH” moment. I did notice that Suze was very vocal during the shoots she did in “Not A Love Story.”
Thanks RR and Suze.